Roll Models: Therapeutic D&D in Davidson, NC
What if therapy was the highlight of your child’s week?
In our therapist-led Dungeons & Dragons groups, kids build confidence, social skills, and emotional resilience through collaborative storytelling with local peers.
Guided by licensed therapists specializing in anxiety and neurodivergence, our games target goals like anxiety management, social skills, and frustration tolerance in a way that feels fun, not forced.
Players level up their coping skills alongside their character, and (we hope) look forward to each new adventure.
About Our Games
Our groups meet in person in Davidson, North Carolina, in a fully accessible office conveniently located near I-77.
Each session lasts 90 minutes, and groups meet for six-week terms before beginning a new story arc.
We keep group sizes small and have at least two adults present at every session, including a licensed therapist.
Location: 442 S Main St, Davidson, NC 28036
Enrollment: $80 per session • 6 sessions per term ($480 total)
2026 Cohorts
Monday Evening Tweens5-6:30 pm | Ages 10-12
Game in progress; welcoming new members
Wednesday Morning Teens11-12:30 pm | Ages 13-16
Begins June 24th; summer and homeschool-friendly
A Great Fit for Kids Who…
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Feel anxious or self-conscious about joining group activities, so they struggle to meet new friends.
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Struggle with collaboration, impulse control, or frustration tolerance when they’re in groups.
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Don’t always connect smoothly or easily with their peers, despite being bright, creative, and insightful.
Who Our games are forDoes This Sound Like Your Child?
Our players are bright, funny, sensitive people who need extra help navigating social situations. They have so much to offer as a friend, but something keeps getting in the way of building the relationships they want.
Maybe your child:
Is academically gifted, but struggles socially
Needs a boost in confidence or self-esteem
Hangs back or avoids joining in due to social anxiety
Shuts down or gives up when things feel difficult
Gets stuck on things feeling “unfair” or needing to be done the “right” way
Struggles with impulsivity, interrupting, or letting go of control in social situations
We also support families who:
Haven’t seen the progress they’d hoped for with individual therapy alone
Are looking for a social skills group that doesn’t feel like work
Are looking for something their child will actually enjoy, not resist
What happens in a sessionHow (and Why) Our Games Work
What a Session Looks Like
Each session follows the same structure, which helps us get in to a predictable rhythm as a group:
Group check-in: players settle in, reconnect with the group, and discuss their plans for the adventure ahead
Recap of last week’s game: participants work together to summarize the previous session so everyone feels prepared
Supported gameplay: we jump into character and spend at least 60 minutes roleplaying, fighting monsters, and solving problems
Debrief and reflection: players share feedback with facilitators, celebrate wins, and elect an “MVP” whose actions were especially impressive or helpful to the group.
We tailor each session’s storyline to make sure each participant has opportunities to shine, challenge themselves, and experience success. Over time, these repeated experiences help children practice social skills in the moment, so they become more natural, confident, and transferable outside of the game.
How the Therapy Happens
During this time, we guide players toward their chosen therapy goals by:
Gently moderating conversation with clear guidelines that ensure everyone has a turn to speak
Reinforcing target skills by shaping rules and rewards within the game
Modeling effective social communication as challenges naturally arise between players
Providing individual support when needed if a child becomes overwhelmed, frustrated, or stuck
Facilitating positive friendships through shared storytelling and cooperative adventure
When Play Becomes PracticeWhat Skills Do Kids Learn in D&D Therapy?
D&D is a social game that requires players to work together to achieve a common goal.
Roleplaying as a character provides a safe, low-stakes space to experiment with new ways of thinking, responding, and interacting that might feel too intimidating to try in real life.
With repeated practice and therapeutic support, the skills kids practice in D&D start to show up in their day-to-day lives, leading to improvements in areas like:
Impulse Control
Perspective-Taking
Emotion Regulation
Flexible Thinking
Teamwork
Communication
Research on the mental health benefits of roleplaying games confirms what we see in our groups: D&D supports social and emotional development.
Meet Our TeamThe Therapists Behind the Gaming Table
Joey Schnople, LCMHC
Joey is the therapist behind Joey Schnople Counseling, where he works with families, couples, and children at our therapy group location on South Main Street in Davidson. He was inspired to become a counselor due to his own life experiences with ADHD.
Outside of the therapy office, Joey wears many hats and holds several degrees, including an MBA, a Philosophy degree, and certification as a yoga teacher.
Counselor
Katie Lear, LCMHC
Katie is the founder of Davidson Child Anxiety Counseling, a small private practice specializing in pediatric anxiety and OCD treatment. She’s also the founder of Young Dragonslayers, an online community that helps kids and teens “find their people” through playing D&D.
Katie is currently working on a book for therapists on how to use roleplaying games as a form of group therapy for children, to be published in 2027.
Counselor
Counseling InternJalen Riad
Jalen is a Psychology major at Davidson College, where he is writing his thesis on therapeutic D&D. He previously worked at Broughton Hospital in Morganton, NC, where he assisted therapists providing mental health treatment to children. An aspiring PhD, Jalen hopes to specialize in OCD therapy.
Jalen provides added support during sessions and serve as a role model for positive gameplay. He is known for his portrayal of Green Bean, the adventurers’ goblin companion.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our games meet in-person at 442 S Main St, Davidson, NC 28036. We’re in a convenient location for families in the Lake Norman and North Charlotte areas.
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Our tween game serves children ages 10-12. Our teen game serves kids ages 13-16.
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Our tween game meets Monday evenings from 5-6:30. Our teen game meets Wednesday afternoons from 11:30-1.
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The fee to join is $480 for a 6-week program, which includes weekly 90-minute therapeutic game sessions.
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We do not take insurance, but depending on your plan you may be able to receive out of network reimbursement for our therapy group. We accept FSA/HSA as payment.
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It’s perfectly fine if your child has never played before! We welcome beginners and can help them get acclimated to the game.
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Fill out our application form, and we’ll reach out to book a call with you to talk about your child and their goals. We screen all applicants carefully, not to exclude anyone but to ensure every child who joins is well-served by our group.
JOin Roll ModelsReady to Get Started?
If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous than traditional talk therapy, we’d love to help. We’ll meet with you for a personal, no-pressure conversation to get to know your child and figure out if we’re a good fit for what you’re looking for.
Here’s how to get started:
Fill out our brief application form.
Meet with us to talk about your child, their strengths, and what you hope they’ll get out of the group.
Get started in a weekly game with our team!
We look forward to playing in Davidson soon!
